E.A. McBride

Veterinarians' perceptions of behaviour support in small-animal practice.

Veterinarians are professionals considered to be at the forefront of animal welfare, including behaviour medicine. However, concerns raised, both within the profession and without, highlight that the support offered is not optimal, due to deficiencies in veterinary training, which focuses on physical aspects and overlooks psychological aspects. This preliminary study explored the experiences and perceptions of six veterinarians (three male, three female, age range: 23–55 years) in two UK small-animal practices. Seventeen annual booster consultations were videoed and conversations thematically analysed for welfare topics discussed. Both veterinarians and clients completed questionnaires to gather demographic information and perspectives. All veterinarians recognised behaviour as a component of their caseload, and acknowledged that clients expected them to provide behaviour support. Veterinarians varied in their experiences of and confidence in providing behaviour support. Five felt unable to meet client expectations; four did not feel their training had prepared them sufficiently. Only one provided dedicated behaviour consultations, the others referred cases. All provided suggestions for behaviour skills needed for new veterinary graduates. The study has afforded an insight into the experiences of a small opportunistic sample of veterinarians. The data indicated important limitations regarding time available in general consultations to discuss behaviour concerns, and practitioner knowledge and skill in detection, anamnesis, assessment and provision of appropriate behaviour information. Suggestions for veterinary training in behaviour are provided.

Aggression between dogs: what can the vet do to help solve the problem?

DOG-RELATED injuries can have costly outcomes: physical injury, psychological damage and financial costs, including NHS and veterinary bills. There may be court proceedings and an owner may acquire a criminal record due to their dogs behaviour. Injuries to human beings are the main focus of attention: Defra (2012) estimated 210,000 ‘attacks’ on people each year in England. Dog-on-dog aggression is common, but given less attention. A survey carried out by Casey and others (2012), summarised on page 127 of this issue of Veterinary Record , indicated that 22 per cent of 3897 owners had dogs that displayed ‘aggressive’ behaviours (barking, lunging, growling or biting) towards unfamiliar dogs. Such behaviour alone may be sufficient cause for a criminal case under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, with potential consequences, which may include the implementation of control orders, the accused dog being seized and destroyed and a criminal record for the owner. Yet, Casey and colleagues found that ‘[weak] concordance between dog- and human-directed aggression suggested most dogs were not showing aggression in multiple contexts’. This supports the view of many who work with dogs: that inter-dog aggression is not indicative of dog-human aggression. People tend to seek simple answers to complex problems; legislation intended to control a dogs ‘dangerousness’ is one example. The lack of evidence for ‘dangerous breeds’ …